EW20: IDIOMS

IDIOM 1: "as the crow flies"

-> MEANING: by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places
-> EXAMPLE: As the crow flies it is about six kilometers between here and the cinema.
IDIOM 2: "to count one's chickens before they're hatched"
-> MEANING: depend or rely on getting something before one has it
-> EXAMPLE: Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched - remember you haven`t
passed your exams yet and may not get the job you expect.
IDIOM 3: "to eat like a bird"
-> MEANING: to eat very little
-> EXAMPLE: He must be sick as he has been eating like a bird during the last few weeks.

IDIOM 4: "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
-> MEANING: one shouldn`t risk losing something certain by trying to get something that is not
certain
-> EXAMPLE: You should keep the prize and not try and win another one. Remember a bird in
the hand is worth two in the bush.
IDIOM 5: "early bird catches the worm"
-> MEANING: a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success
-> EXAMPLE: Let`s leave about six o`clock in the morning. Remember the early bird catches
the worm.
Practice:
1.Sandra always _______________________________________. She is very thin and she
doesnt eat much.
2.________________________________________________________. You havent won yet,
and you shouldnt resign from your job. You dont know what is going to happen.
3.Stop now! Dont try and win one million dolars! US$500,000 is a big amount of money!
______________________________________. You could lose everything!
4.Our hotel is near the beach. __________________________________. As the crow flies, it
is 1 mile between the hotel and the sea. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. You could
lose everything!'
5._________________________________________. If you want to find a job, you must get up
early and you mustnt sleep all day long.




IDIOM 1: "wolf in sheep`s clothing"
-> MEANING: a person who pretends to be good but really is bad
-> EXAMPLE: He is a wolf in sheep's clothing and someone that you should be very
careful about.

IDIOM 2: "burn a hole in one`s pocket"
-> MEANING: money likely to be quickly spent
-> EXAMPLE: The money that he made at his part-time job is burning a hole in his
pocket and he will probably spend it quickly.

IDIOM 3: "handle with kid gloves"
-> MEANING: treat very gently and carefully
-> EXAMPLE: You must handle the new computer with kid gloves as it is very fragile.

IDIOM 4: "catch with one`s pants down"
-> MEANING: surprise someone in an embarassing situation or a guilty act
-> EXAMPLE: He was caught with his pants down when he was asked for the figures
but was unable to produce them.

IDIOM 5: "keep one's shirt on"
-> MEANING: calm down, keep from losing one`s temper or getting excited
-> EXAMPLE: Keep your shirt on. You shouldn`t get so excited about small problems.

PRACTICE:
1.The new supervisor has a reputation for being very mean so you will have to
___________________________ if you dont want to have problems.
2.You should try and _____________________________. There is no benefit to you if
you become angry.

3. Peter has no money left. When you give him something, it
_______________________________________. He always buys useless things.
4. John was ____________________________________ when he was asked to
interview Eminem.
5. Don't trust Peter! He is___________________________________ and he can do
very bad things to you.




IDIOM 1: 'bad egg '
-> MEANING: a bad person
-> EXAMPLE: That man is a bad egg so you should try and avoid him if you can.

IDIOM 2: 'cut the mustard'
-> MEANING: succeed, do adequately what
needs to be done
-> EXAMPLE: He wasn`t able to cut the mustard so he had to leave the army after only
one year.

IDIOM 3: 'duck soup '
-> MEANING: a task that doesn't require much effort
-> EXAMPLE: It was duck soup.
I was able to finish everything early last night.

IDIOM 4: 'in the soup'
-> MEANING: in serious trouble, in disorder
-> EXAMPLE: She is really in the soup now. She told her boss that she was sick but he
saw her downtown
shopping.

IDIOM 5: 'full of beans'
-> MEANING: feel energetic, in high spirits
-> EXAMPLE: She is full of beans tonight and doesn`t want to stop talking.

1. 'My little sister is __________________, she is always running, jumping, crying,
talking...'
2. 'If you don't tell the truth to the policemen, you will __________________ __ ; you
will have a lot of problems.'
3. 'My son doesn't manage to___________________________. His boss told him that
he was a very bad employee. He will probably be fired soon.'
4. 'Your exercise is ________________________. Even my little 5-year-old brother can
do it!'
5. 'Don't phone, Tom! He's really__________________________. His previous
girlfriend told me a lot of bad things about him.'






IDIOM 1: "eat crow"
-> MEANING: admit one is mistaken or defeated, take back a mistaken statement
-> EXAMPLE: I was forced to eat crow and had to apologize for the mistake that I made
about the restructuring of our company.

IDIOM 2: "hot potato "
-> MEANING: a question or argument that is controversial and difficult to settle
-> EXAMPLE: The issue of building the nuclear power plant is a real hot potato for the
local town council.

IDIOM 3: "piece of cake"
-> MEANING: a task that is easily accomplished
-> EXAMPLE: It was a piece of cake. I had everything done before lunch this morning.

IDIOM 4: "cool as a cucumber"
-> MEANING: calm, not nervous or anxious
-> EXAMPLE: He is always as cool as a cucumber and never worries about anything.

IDIOM 5: "big cheese "
-> MEANING: an important person, a leader
-> EXAMPLE: He is a big cheese in his company so you should be very nice to him.


1. 'Have you met the new hot potato big cheese? He said he would change everything
in the company!'
2. 'OK. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I must hot potato eat crow and tell Peter that he was
right.'
3. 'This exercise is hot potato a piece of cake. Even my little sister could do it!'
4. 'Peter is always hot potato as cool as a cucumber. He always solves his problems
easily.'
5. 'Are you for or against the death penalty? It is a difficult problem. It has always been
a hot potato '.



















Idioms and expressions

In the doghouse

Meaning: 'In the doghouse' means to be in disgrace or disfavour because of
something wrong or bad that the person has done.
Example:
- I'm in the doghouse, now. The boss wanted my report this morning, but I haven't
finished it yet.

Straight from the horse's mouth

Meaning: 'Straight from the horse's mouth' means directly from the person who
originally made the statement.
Example:
- Trust me. It comes straight from the horse's mouth. I saw Mrs McKenzie this
morning and she told me.


Get/have cold feet

Meaning: To 'get or have cold feet' means to be too nervous to do something,
especially right before doing it.
Example:
- I hope Mary doesn't get cold feet about singing in public tonight. It's her first
time, and she's very nervous.


Play it by ear

Meaning: 'Play it by ear' means to decide what to do as you go along, changing to
fit the situation.
Example:
- I haven't made any plans for the weekend. I'll just play it by ear and see what
happens.

Like an eager beaver

Meaning: 'Like an eager beaver' means to be an enthusiastic person who is
always ready to work hard or do anything extra to succeed or accomplish
something.
Example:
- Bill wants to get promoted, so he's working late, he's such an eager beaver.
















1. I got it an eager beaver straight from the horse's mouth . He told me himself
this morning.
2. At the last minute, Bill an eager beaver got cold feet and didn't dive off the 10
meter high diving board.
3. John's wife is angry at him because he forgot her birthday.
He's an eager beaver in the doghouse now.
4. Jim was going to ask Kay to marry him, but he an eager beaver had cold
feet and decided to wait a little longer.
5. You'll never believe this but it's an eager beaver straight from the horse's
mouth , we don't have to go to class on Friday.
6. The football team was an eager beaver in the doghouse because they lost the
game.
7. Martha worked for hours to catch up on her work, she's an eager beaver .
8. I have vacation soon. I 'll an eager beaver play it by ear because I haven't
enough money to make any plans.
































IDIOM 1: "black sheep (of the family)"
-> MEANING: a person who is a disgrace to a family or group
-> EXAMPLE: Tommy is the black sheep in his family: he is the only member who
has not made a success of his life.

IDIOM 2: "blue in the face"
-> MEANING: very angry or upset, excited and very emotional
-> EXAMPLE: He argued with her until he was blue in the face.

IDIOM 3: "red-letter day"
-> MEANING: a day that is memorable because of some important event
-> EXAMPLE: It was a red-letter day when she finally received her graduation
diploma.

IDIOM 4: "white as a ghost"
-> MEANING: very pale because of fear, shock, illness etc.
-> EXAMPLE: My sister became white as a ghost when she saw the man at the
window.

IDIOM 5: "with flying colors"
-> MEANING: with great or total success
-> EXAMPLE: She passed her exam with flying colors and now wants to go out
and celebrate.



1. 'Incredible! Peter is on time! He is not late as usual! It is
really with flying colors a red-letter day!'
2. 'I got a '100%' at my exam. My teacher told me that I passed it with flying
colors !'
3. 'I came and stopped the debate: Peter was with flying colors blue in the
face and I was worried.'
4. 'Sarah has just had an accident. She was with flying colors white as a
ghost when I saw her at the hospital.'
5. 'Sandra's brother is a criminal. He is with flying colors the black sheep of the
family.'